You can make Elias’s run mean even more by donating today. Every dollar allows BAA Foundation to help keep the “arts” in Boston Arts Academy, an autonomous school with a public-private funding model. While Boston Public Schools pays for BAA’s core academic curriculum, BAA Foundation funds the school’s arts curriculum, as well as academic and social-emotional support services.

Support from friends like you ensures that BAA can provide an arts-intensive, college preparatory education and that the students have the resources they need to achieve their full potential

"I grew up in a running family in Maine, with my Dad and three older brothers all training for and competing in road races and meets throughout my childhood. Maine-native and marathoner Joan Benoit Samuelson was an icon for us all. Under the guidance of our town's resident running guru, coach Taylor Harmon, the sport became a lifestyle for me. It's such an honor to be running Boston as my very first marathon.
 
Why do I run? I run to stay fit, to feel close to family and friends, to
clear my mind when the going gets tough, to spend one-on-one time with my dog, and to explore the world around me."

This year, Elias is running to support a cause near and dear to him: Boston Arts Academy (BAA), BAA’s talented high school students, and the transformative public arts education it provides for Boston’s youth.
 
Cheer on Elias and support the students of BAA today!